Law Clinic Annual Review: Beyond Justice

Beyond Justice Law School

Law Clinic Annual Review 2021/22

‘The Law Clinic is the most exciting and meaningful aspect of studying Law at Bristol.

We all have a moral duty to uplift those that do not feel represented adequately by our legal system and I am proud to have managed to make a difference to someone’s life.”

Law Clinic student (2021/22 Law Clinic Student Survey)

Over .95% of students involved in the Law Clinic found it a positive experience that improved their confidence, with 93% believing it also increased their employability.

87% of students believe it improved their awareness of societal issues and over 85% of students from underrepresented groups felt supported.

99% of clients indicated that the students listened to what they had to say, with 97% indicating that the information they received was easy to understand.

94% of clients were satisfied with the overall experience of working with the Law Clinic and felt they were kept up to date on progress.

“I was very pleased with the services of the law clinic and the commitment of the students that helped with my case. They were amazing, informative and dedicated.”

Law Clinic client (2021/22 Law Clinic Client Survey)

Welcome In the past 18 months we have delivered new services, and deepened and extended our relationships with partners in the city and beyond. We have also taken on more than 300 cases, helping our clients seek the justice they deserve. But involvement in the Law Clinic goes far beyond delivering justice. For students it also means increased confidence and empathy and a deeper understanding of social issues that paves the way for meaningful careers.

A highlight of 2021 was the welcome return to the Law Clinic of Sumayyah Malna who had been on maternity leave. Sumayyah was responsible for establishing and developing the Inquest Team as well as the sponsored summer internship for one of our Black students.

The internship was sponsored by Burges Salmon who also gave the student a placement at their firm. Two students in the Inquest Team were shortlisted for a Bristol Law Society award, which was followed in April 2022 by the shortlisting of the Law Clinic for the LawWorks Award for Best Contribution by a Law School.

Throughout the past eighteen months the shadow of COVID-19 has been ever present. This has continued to affect the way our service is provided but not its accessibility or availability. Client contact was conducted remotely which in fact allowed us to help some clients who lived outside the Bristol postcode area.

The work of the students in the Law Clinic provides an additional level of support to clients who have not been able to find help elsewhere. We receive referrals from Citizens Advice and other agencies and see ourselves as working with rather than in competition with them.

To this end Omar Madhloom joined the Bristol Committee for Pro Bono work in the city, reinforcing our links with both agencies and local law firms.

As part of extending the opportunities for our students, we have also participated in a number of linkups with universities outside the UK. This has taken the form of discussions between law clinic students at Bristol and abroad, as well as organising and participating in sessions run in conjunction with Lawworks, Clinical Legal Education Organisation (CLEO) and the Law Commission.

We see the work of the Law Clinic and the Law Clinic students as contributing significantly to their development as lawyers, to access to justice, and to their development as policymakers, influencers and people who have an interest and involvement in the way that law is used and should be used.

John Peake Law Clinic DIrector

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“Before entering the Clinic, I was not aware of the extent of the legal aid crisis.

The Clinic has opened my eyes and made me realise how many people really are in need - and given me insight into the variety of societal issues experienced by those for whom the cost of professional representation is prohibitive.”

Law Clinic student (Law Clinic Student Survey 2021/22)

Read the Blog In this blog, Law Clinic student, Aryan Mandal discusses how being a volunteer lawyer has changed him.

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Contents Inquest Service Community Law and Outreach How we are having an impact Supporting social welfare From housing law to Financial Ombusman Working for the best interest of families An international outlook Skills for the future Finance Investing in interns Thanks Looking forward

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Inquest Service Since the launch of the Inquest Service in 2019, we have remained committed to supporting bereaved families through the inquest process. The service has expanded and so too has our provision of specialist inquest training for our students.

This year our inquest team were trained in inquest law and process by undertaking a case simulation regarding a mental health related death. Our students also received advocacy training from barrister Georgina Wolfe of 5 Essex Court and were given insight into life as a coroner from the Assistant Coroner for Hampshire, Sunyana Sharma.

Recognition of the service has grown, and we have accepted referrals from organisations such as the British Transport Police, Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) and Leigh Day – assisting those clients who require legal support but who are unable to obtain Legal Aid. Students this year have undertaken a wide spectrum of inquest work, including providing written advice on the inquest process, written submissions on Article 2 and researching complex areas of medicine.

Our inquest team was a runner-up for Best New Pro Bono Activity at the LawWorks and Attorney General Student Pro Bono Awards 2020. We are also very proud of students Laura Meredith and Eleanor Lewis who were shortlisted for Law Student of the Year at the Bristol Law Society Awards 2021, for the fantastic support and representation they provided their client at the very difficult jury inquest into the death of his daughter.

Moving forward we are in the process of setting up a scheme with law firm Royds Withy King where students will have the invaluable opportunity to assist solicitors on their current inquest cases. This unique scheme will provide students with fantastic insight and experience into complex inquests and serve to strengthen our offering at the Law Clinic, as well as strengthen the Clinic’s links with local practitioners.

Notably, several of our students have advocated on behalf of their clients in the Coroner’s Court. Four of these students came up against other interested parties who were represented by QCs.

“Being able to talk to bright and enthusiastic students, closing in on their final degree, offered us an avenue to receive quality support... Bristol Law Clinic made our difficult journey much easier. We will be eternally grateful for the time and courtesy they provided.”

Inquest Service client, 2021

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“To be given the opportunity to advocate at a seven-day inquest was the most rewarding experience I had during my time at Bristol.

To advise someone and ensure that what happened to their loved one would not happen to someone else, impacted my view on how I want to use my degree. It is an experience I will carry with me in my future career.”

Eleanor Lewis, Student of the Year 2021

Sumayyah Malna: A Leading Role Leading the Inquest Team, Sumayyah Malna (photo, second right) always wanted to practise medical law.

She trained at Irwin Mitchell, where she practised clinical negligence, public law and human rights, and Court of Protection work. On qualifying, she moved over to Bevan Brittan where the majority of her caseload was mental health related inquest and Court of Protection work for NHS Trusts and CCGs .

Starting at the University and working at the Law Clinic, Sumayyah wanted to help address the power imbalance she had witnessed throughout her practise by empowering members of our community with pro bono legal support provided by our students.

Read Summayah’s blog, “Why I’m passionate about supporting students delivering justice”.

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Watch the launch film Matt Bennett was one of the first students to take part in the Inquest Service. In this film he explains how it works.

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Throughout 2021, Law Clinic Students delivered Community Law sessions to local schools and community groups. This included sessions on healthy relationship and consent - and providing legal advice to individuals experiencing domestic violence.

Community Law The Community Law initiative is designed to engage students in public legal education. Law Clinic students carry out research specific areas of law and present their findings to a variety of stakeholders throughout the city and beyond.

Under the Community Law Program, volunteering members from the Law Clinic deliver presentations and workshops to educate and engage members of the public in discussions about their rights. This year projects have included issues ranging from anti-racism to mental capacity law.

Over the past 18 months, students have: •

Collaborated with the Student Union’s My Rent My Rights project, creating leaflets on the housing rights of students which were distributed at the Student Union Housing Fair.

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Delivered a variety of sessions to local schools, with a particular focus on healthy relationship and consent, and stop and search.

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Delivered a presentation on Mental Capacity Law and Dementia to Bath and North East Somerset Dementia Support Workers. Read the News Article.

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Delivered presentations and legal support to local domestic violence charities. The support included providing information regarding the criminal and civil justice systems and informing clients about their rights.

Find out more Discover what being part of a team delivering sessions on Mental Capacity Law and Dementia meant to Second year LLB student, Alis Ugur.

Outreach The Law Clinic’s outreach work sees students collaborate with humanitarian organisations and charities across the city. Together, with our students and community partners, we have created a unique programme that provides a range of social and legal services to those who most need support, primarily in the form of delivering drop-in legal advice sessions.

Bristol Drugs Project Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) is a charity providing harm reduction and treatment services to people experiencing problems with drugs or alcohol. In the past, the Law Clinic has provided free legal advice to BDP service users who are struggling to gain access to the formal legal support they need to start taking back control of their lives. This took the form of fortnightly drop-ins with Law Clinic supporting people whose problematic drug and alcohol use had meant they had faced restricted access to housing, public services and education. Since the pandemic, the Law Clinic has been taking referalls, providing support around problems with benefits, debt, domestic violence, fragile family networks and criminal activity.

Young Lives vs Cancer Formerly known as CLIC Sargent, Young Lives vs Cancer is a charity providing support to families when their child has been diagnosed with cancer. Young Lives vs Cancer supports families and young patients from the beginning of a cancer diagnosis all the way to financial support and providing a ‘home from home’ throughout treatment. Last year, the Law Clinic students conducted drop-in sessions either on Zoom or at Sam’s House - a home set up for families who are based outside of Bristol but are having treatment at the Children’s Hospital - to provide families with advice on any legal issues they may be facing. The outreach team also raised £6,011 for the charity through a ‘distance challenge’.

The Wellspring Settlement The Wellspring Settlement in Barton Hill, Bristol is one of the most deprived areas in the country. A lot of the clients who students have contact with through the drop-ins at Wellspring are members of the Somali community for whom English is not their first language.

Students very quickly learn how to develop their communication skills to address the range of issues associated with conducting a case for somebody who does not have English as their first language.

The types of cases taken on through the drop-in at Wellspring include housing and employment disputes as well as discrimination claims.

Bristol Refugee Rights The Law Clinic has worked hard this year to establish a new relationship with Bristol Refugee Rights.

The work of this incredible charity has increased in significance over the past few years to support the crisis in Afghanistan and, more recently, in Ukraine.

Working with Bristol Refugee Rights represents the Law Clinic’s commitment to recognising and responding to the needs which arise within the local Bristol community. This year, through fundraising, students hope to have made a direct difference to people whose lives have been turned upside down.

Our DoMoreWithLaw playlist showcases students working on outreach projects. Watch now.

“Outreach projects quickly expose you to real clients and professionals that expect a highquality service. Nothing kicks you into gear faster than a client immediately placing faith in your ability,” Hannah Sinclair (LLB 2020, Trainee Solicitor Allen Hole)

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How we are having an impact “Being listened to by somebody allowed me to tell my story, gave me confidence to pursue with my appeal and not give up.

That is all thanks to the University of Bristol Law Clinic. The students that took on the case treated me with respect, intelligence and integrity. I couldn’t have asked for better human beings or any paid lawyer, or through any paid legal service. The work they do really is a godsend to vulnerable and marginalised people of the public like myself.”

Law Clinic client, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA) case

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Supporting social welfare The Law Clinic primarily works with individuals who have low incomes, are disadvantaged and are likely to experience difficulties. Much of the work undertaken by students relates to welfare and disability benefits, employment issues, discrimination, mental health and housing. In this Q&A we talk to Dimitris and Eve, joint winners of the Law Clinic Award for Best Final Year Student, about just how far students go to secure a successful outcome for their clients.

What was it like to receive the Final Year Student Law Clinic Award for your social security case?

Receiving the Final Year Student Law Clinic Award was a surprising and humbling experience. Our motivation for engaging in case work was primarily to help individuals at some of the most vulnerable times of their lives, and so we’d never really considered the possibility of being awarded for this work.

Can you tell us a bit more about the case that secured you the award?

The award serves as a recognition of our hard work on a multijurisdictional social security case. It was a benefits appeal that centred around UK, Greek and EU law in which the entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was being disputed on two grounds, the first being whether the UK was the competent state to pay the benefit and the second being whether the client was in need of, or entitled to the benefit How far did your support go in terms of securing a successful outcome for the client?

As there were two grounds of appeal, we focused on one each, whilst supporting each other in relation to general queries and aspects of the appeal. Throughout the progression of the case we had regular meetings with the client to gain all information needed and keep her up to date as to how we were proceeding. Having this open line of communication with the client enabled her to trust us and have confidence in our abilities and commitment to gaining the most beneficial outcome for her. As this case involved Greek law, we contacted IKA, the Greek Social Insurance Institute to gain relevant information for our case as our client was receiving

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a pension from Greece following the bereavement of her husband. Combining this information with our independent legal research we were able to prepare a compelling tribunal submission. Going up against experienced litigators from the Department for Work and Pensions was particularly challenging and we’re elated to have won part of the appeal. The opportunity to represent a client in court and speak on her behalf as her personal representatives, with the result being a significant amount of money back-paid to the client, was hugely emotional. We were acutely aware of the difference if would make to our clients life.

How did the case prepare you for future careers?

Preparing the appeal bundle and representing our client at the tribunal gave us an unparalleled taste of what it’s like to be solicitors. It enabled us to put into practice everything that we have been studying for the previous three years. Additionally, representing a client in a tribunal whilst we were still studying has been such a unique experience that has allowed us to stand out in applications and interviews. It has also confirmed our interest in law and the areas in which we would like to qualify.

What advice would you give to a future Law Clinic student? Both of us have experienced rejection, in applying for a Law Clinic place, or for a training contract. Rejection did not dishearten us. Our message to fellow students and graduates is to learn to endure disappointment and keep pushing until you’ve reached your most coveted goals.

“ Defending our client against experienced litigators from the Department for Work and Pensions was particularly challenging and I’m elated we won part of the appeal.” Dimitris Trigkas (LLB 2021)

“The highlight of my time at university is undoubtedly the Law Clinic. The freedom we were given to interact with clients and make significant decisions was something I did not anticipate.”

Eve Hughes (LLB 2021)

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From housing law to Financial Ombudsman Dispute resolution, the process of resolving disputes between parties, is a skill that most students will hone whilst in the Law Clinic. For alumna, Georgia Austin (LLB 2020), it opened doors to a meaningful career.

I enjoyed my time at the Law Clinic because it was interesting to learn about areas of law outside of my course. I appreciated the opportunity to develop practical legal skills and to use these skills to help members of the community.

Whilst at the Law Clinic I worked on a client’s tenant dispute. The mould and damp in his flat had got so severe his health was negatively impacted, his possessions were ruined, and the flat was uninhabitable, meaning he was having to sleep on the streets.

To approach this issue, my case partner and I explored dispute resolution via the civil courts and the Housing Ombudsman. In this case, the Housing Ombudsman wasn’t a possibility since the letting agents and the landlord were not signed up to the Ombudsman’s voluntary jurisdiction.

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As a result, we prepared the client to present as a litigant in person to argue his case. The experience helped shape my future career.

“This case opened my eyes to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and the many opportunities there are to resolve issues outside of court. It inspired my application to the Financial Ombudsman Service.”

“My experience at the University of Bristol Law Clinic laid the foundations for many of the skills I would be developing in the workplace. I now have 30 to 35 cases at a time and having a foundation in case management certainly eased the learning curve. The ability to effectively research unfamiliar, complex topics was also an invaluable skill.”

Georgia Austin (LLB 2020)

My role in the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) As an investigator at the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), my role is to suggest a resolution to complaints made by consumers against companies providing financial services. As FOS is an independent third party, I assess the evidence presented by both sides and consider it in light of the relevant legislation, regulation, best practice guides and industry standards to suggest a fair and reasonable resolution to the complaint.

Investigators spend the first six months of the job in the academy which involves a mixture of seminar learning and hands-on learning.

Following my experience at the University of Bristol Law Clinic, I had laid the foundations for many of the skills I would be developing throughout the academy.

For example, the ability to juggle casework with other commitments was an extremely valuable skill to have practiced while at the Law Clinic.

I now have a caseload of 30 to 35 cases at a time and so having a foundation in case management eased the learning curve. Similarly, the ability to effectively research unfamiliar, complex topics was an invaluable skill that I had developed at the Law Clinic. Having developed strong research skills at the Law Clinic was another asset when working to meet my academy targets.

My caseload includes cases where people have tried to invest using established investment platforms such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, UBS etc. but have been scammed through a cloned company. I consider the individual facts of the complaint to determine whether it was reasonable and fair for the respondent organisation to choose not to reimburse the consumer for their loss under the Contingent Reimbursement Model Code and the Payment Services Regulations.

I was always worried that my first job outside of university would define my career. I was stressed because I hadn’t got a training contract lined up straight out of university.

Ultimately this was a blessing because it meant I explored different routes into law. And now, two years later, I have secured a training contract with Bristows. Throughout the process law firms have loved the experience the Law Clinic gave me and it really helped with my applications.

Ultimately, my experience at the Law Clinic and then the Financial Ombudsman service were incredibly useful for securing a training contract.

Having graduated from the academy, I now work in the fraud and scams department specialising in authorised push payment investment scams.

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How we support families This year saw the Family Law Team, supervised by Sumayyah Malna, take on many more cases, introduce a new drop-in service for victims of domestic abuse and lay foundations for future work with care leavers.

In 2021, the Law Clinic expanded its work in family law largely dealing with child arrangement disputes, but also providing advice on special guardianship orders, nonmolestation orders, and specific issue orders.

One of the most exciting new endeavours of 2021 is a new partnership with Lyons Davidson and NextLink, adding to our drop in services by providing a fortnightly legal advice drop-in for victims of domestic abuse.

We have been honoured to support victims on the family law issues where they have been unable to obtain legal funding. Next academic year we also hope to develop our link with a support organisation for care leavers called Avocados Advocacy.

Our aim is to work in partnership with Avocados Advocacy to provide legal support and advice where particular issues arise for care leavers.

“Advising a client seeking a relocation order following a divorce was a particular challenge, only receiving their instructions three days before the Family Court hearing. Quickly establishing exactly what the client wanted to achieve enabled us to deliver a positive result for the client.” Hannah Sinclair, LLB2020 14

“This case really highlighted how important the work of every single student and member of staff in the Clinic is. Whilst it is a wonderful learning opportunity for us as students, our work is often the only hope for clients that come to the Clinic to achieve justice and that makes a real difference,” Cora Danielli (LLB 2020)

Working in the best interest of families In 2021, a family reached out to the Law Clinic on behalf of their non-verbal child who had profound and multiple learning difficulties. The family were seeking advice for an upcoming Best Interests Meeting which they hoped would lead to improved care for their child. Cora Danieli (LLB 2021) was one of the case workers.

The planned Best Interests Meeting (BIM) was one that would determine whether the ongoing inadequate care the family’s child was receiving in their care home would be sufficient to determine the current placement unfit.

In that time, their child was living in poor conditions with their basic care needs not being met. They had been left unattended on countless occasions, there was no sufficient sensory training (which is seen as a necessary component of emotional stimulation) and, on the worst end of the spectrum, the family had been denied access to their child and left uninformed when their child was rushed to hospital from epileptic fits.

At this BIM, the family would be in the company of experienced medical professionals, social care workers, an independent mental health advocate (IMHA) for their child, and individuals from the care home. Our job was to adequately prepare the family for this daunting meeting and put together a list of recommendations (from highest to lowest priority) which would support their claim. This came with many challenges, not least due to the inherently emotional nature of it for all those involved.

We wrote numerous medicolegal advice letters based on this information, and further used these as a foundation for advising our client on the complaints process for the relevant healthcare bodies. As a university student, this was both extremely challenging and highly rewarding and I am very thankful to have been involved.

My case partners and I successfully supported the family in securing a positive outcome at the BIM and securing a long-term better quality of life for the family’s child. We are overjoyed to have been a part of this success and wish our clients all the best for the future. We also hope that the complaints we helped to raise will come to fruition in the near future and help them, and any others in similar situations, to achieve both peace and justice.

Our preparation involved conducting legal research into the Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (MCA DoLS), the Care Act and BIMs themselves. Having familiarised ourselves with this, we were given the opportunity to review extensive medical documentation and liaise with health and social care professionals.

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An international outlook In recent years, the Law Clinic has been active in searching out opportunities to share knowledge and ideas beyond the Clinic, the city and the UK. We are home to a culturally diverse student community, and many of our students will go on to work for international organisations. Building an international framework to engage students and those delivering clinical legal education from around the world felt like a natural step.

International Student Symposium The University of Bristol Law Clinic Student Committee organised the first international student symposium in 2021. This online event, which reflected the global clinical movement, was attended by 200 students from all over the world. Students from the UK, Israel, India and Spain presented on their work in their clinics. The event was created to give students across the world the opportunity to make and deliver presentations about clinical legal education. There is no other workshop like this, and our intention is for it to become a conference (much larger than a workshop) moving forward.

Speakers at the first event discussed topics including: ‘Should clinics be mandatory for students?’ (BarIlan University, Israel); ‘Improving access to justice’ (Bennett University, India), and ‘HIV and the rights in the legal clinic’ (Alcalá University, Spain).

International Clinic In 2021 we set up an International Clinic to give students the opportunity to engage in comparative law and to network with students from clinics in other countries. Currently, the International Clinic has collaborated with clinics in France and India.

Junior Lawyers Against Poverty Student Society Lawyers Against Poverty is a UK-based charity specialising in providing advice to refugees. The charity also engages in collaborations with university law clinics across the globe. In 2022, The University of Bristol Law Clinic set up the Junior Lawyers Against Poverty (University of Bristol) with the aim of advising clients and collaborating with clinics in different countries.

Many Law Clinic students also belong to the Lawyers without Borders Committee (Photo).

“Over 200 students attended our first international symposium. The workshop concluded with an insightful Q&A session, where students exchanged ideas and learnt from one another. We were delighted to see students across various jurisdictions sharing their unique experiences of working in pro bono.” Jack Walton, Law Clinic Student Director 2021/22 16

“In recent years law firms have begun to take a more active role in pro bono as part of corporate social responsibility. It makes business sense because human rights and social justice issues also feature in cases involving fee-paying clients. Importantly, increased use of online platforms means that pro bono lawyers and students can now collaborate across jurisdictions.”

Omar Madhloom (Law Clinic Academic Lead)

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“A student who’s working in the Law Clinic will have the opportunity to develop and progress softer skills – the ability to listen, to research a case, to put the law into practice. But as important is the ability to communicate. The ability to critique a situation, to understand what the client wants and to connect with them on a human level, using language that they understand.”

John Peake, Director

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Skills for the future The practical skills students gain through their work in the Law Clinic lay the foundations for a diverse range of careers.

This is often complemented by the Clinical Legal Studies unit, which provides the opportunity to explore the theoretical aspect of the Law Clinic. Other training is provided in areas as wide-ranging as dealing with hate crime to being involved in cross-examination programmes with the police.

Clinical Legal Studies We are trying to develop students who want to become people who will shape the future, who want to become policy makers and who want to influence decisions. But to do that they have to understand the setting that they are actually in and Clinical Legal Studies provides them with that.

Clinical Legal Studies is a third-year unit. It covers the theoretical aspect of the Law Clinic, such as access to justice, distribution of resources, client care and client autonomy.

It is designed to get students to think about their place within the law and why they react to a particular situation the way they do.

Employers and law firms are looking for students with the ability to think critically, to be able to analyse a problem and to offer different solutions. But they also want students who can see the strengths and limitations of those solutions, as well as the opposing argument.

To make a convincing case, whether to convince the employer or the judge or the opposing side in a case, is something we have incorporated into how we supervise and teach students in the Law Clinic. This helps build on the skills they already have with solid legal knowledge so they understand the application of that law and have the knowledge of how it applies to the business of the employer.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary In 2021, the Law Clinic received training from Avon and Somerset Police, providing an opportunity for students to attend a lecture, take part in advocacy training and engage in the cross-examination of police officers. This is particularly beneficial to students who wish to pursue a career at the Bar or criminal defence/prosecution.

Hate Crime Unit Given the current climate and recent events surrounding hate crime, training provided by the Hate Crime Unit was well received by all attending students.

The training was a good reminder for students that the law is there to protect the vulnerable and provided an excellent mixture of audience interaction and enthusiasm from the Hate Crime Unit team. Both discussed the integral role of law clinics as an institution to fight hate crime; highlighting that law clinics are often the first point of contact for victims.

“As an ethnic Chinese, the subject of hate crimes within the community has become increasingly prevalent over the past few years.

The training from the Hate Crime Unit was incredibly informative and provided me with the tools to manage my own response.”

James Loh, Law Clinic student

Investing in interns Internships have been an essential part of the Law Clinic for several years. Generous alumni donations fund student interns over the spring and summer vacations, which allow us to provide a year-round service. This year, Burges Salmon sponsored a new internship for one of our Black students as part of our anti-racism work to address the chronic underrepresentation of Black talent in the legal sector.

The successful student, Ibukun Badmus spent six weeks at the Law Clinic undertaking pro bono work that included drafting court submissions for clients, conducting legal research, independently holding meetings with clients and responding to queries for employment, benefit, family and housing matters.

Following six weeks at the Clinic, Ibukun undertook two weeks of paid experience at Burges Salmon where she sat in the employment department.

She had the opportunity to attend hearings, draft employment clauses and amend employment defence templates.

Under the supervision of Sumayyah Malna, Law Clinic Lead, Ibukun developed her problem-solving skills, creativity, and independence in progressing casework.

Since graduating, Ibukun has been offered a training contract at Clifford Chance. We hope to replicate this internship again in 2022, with a placement at a social justice focused law firm.

“This experience has equipped me with greater insight on what it would be like to work in a commercial law firm, including practically undertaking day to day tasks. I am grateful to my supervisor, Sumayyah, and the University of Bristol for enabling this collaboration, as it has undoubtedly given me greater confidence to embark on my legal career.”Ibukun Badmus, Law Clinic intern 2021 Read the blog In this blog, Ibukun discusses her internship in more detail, encouraging others to consider following in her footsteps.

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Thank you Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who has supported our work over the past 18 months. Our wonderful Law Clinic members, for their unyielding efforts in contributing to the local community. Our community partners, for helping us aid many amazing individuals on their path to justice.

And our alumni network for helping us deliver a year-round service.

Special thanks go to our administrative team who have, quite literally, held everything together as we adjusted to a post-COVID world. Lastly, importantly, a big thank you to all our clients who have consulted us, and trusted us to accompany them on what can often be a difficult journey.

Special thanks to:

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All our partners, with whom we share a mutual commitment to the local community.

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The Law Clinic Student Committee, ably led by Jack Walton, for continuing to provide a much-needed service at an extremely challenging time for so many.

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Osborne Clarke for its ongoing commitment to providing invaluable support to our students, so essential in preparing them for the cases they encounter.

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Our administrative team, Louise Chalice, Liz Brealey and Lucy Clare Deeny, who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to ensure the efficient running of the service.

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Burges Salmon for supporting the introduction of a valuable internship for Black students - including the opportunity for the intern to gain real live experience working in a major law firm.

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The Law School and University, for its ongoing support of the Law Clinic, its staff, and students.

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Our alumni donors for covering the costs of student interns so we can provide a robust year-long service.

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Finance For the academic year 2021/22 we increased investment in student interns to supplement alumni donations and provide a year-round service. Our ambition for this year is continued investment in our internship and training programmes alongside further investment in our outreach projects. This will help us deliver on our commitments to our students, our clients and our community.

Law Clinic Funding Requirements for 2022/23 To reach more people it is essential that we continue to increase our support of students through a balance of training, mentoring and ongoing academic support.

We are therefore looking for funding for the following: •

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*A minimum of five interns are needed to cover both spring and summer caseloads If you are interested in supporting in this way please contact john.peake@bristol.ac.uk.

£7500: to support the cost of an OISC accredited immigration solicitor to supervise the work of students £5,000: To help establish and/or provide ongoing support for our Outreach projects so we can continue meeting the needs of some of the most vulnerable communities in the city £ 5,000: To help fund a single intern* £ 2,500: To fund a student training initiative £ 1,000: To cover Community Law running costs £ 1,000: To cover Inquest Service running costs £ 500: Sponsorship of Volunteer of the Year award

“This year we are looking to expand the invaluable work we do in the community, continuing to deliver a year-round service that reaches those that need our support when they most need it. At the same time, we will be investing in our students, helping to increase diversity in the legal sector and develop the skills that will set them up for life.” Law Clinic Leadership Team

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Looking forward This year we look forward to expanding the reach and impact of our work, nurturing our students to become the very best they can be. With a continued focus on delivering justice for those that most need our support, we are also dedicated to rights-based activities within the community and beyond and look forward to embracing the role we can play as part of an exciting global movement.

We are looking forward to reintroducing face to face client meetings whilst continuing to provide a virtual service that will enable us to maintain a wider geographical spread of clients.

We will be growing the range of business focused activities we can offer students and identifying how those activities feed into the Law Clinic’s wider employability work.

Working with the Law School we will be looking at the impact of climate change and the role that the Law Clinic and its students can play in raising awareness through our Community Law and schools’ education programmes.

As part of a global movement, we look forward to deepening existing relationships with partner law clinics around the world and to expanding our network by developing links with new universities. We are particularly looking forward to the fourth Student Law Clinics’ Global Day of Action (GDA4) on 17th November 2022.

Critically, we will be maintaining the important advice work of the Law Clinic for clients and local agencies which feeds into the development of our students as the lawyers, decision makers and influencers of the future.

John Peake, Law Clinic Director

“This year, in recognition of the many academic, personal and professional commitments Law Clinic students juggle throughout the term, we aim to provide a holistic package of support to encourage and support them in every effort of dedication they invest towards legal advice.” Amelia Lee, Incoming Law Clinic Student Director (2022/23) Read the blog Law Clinic Director, John Peake talks about what the future might look like for Law Clinics and the exciting challenges ahead.

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